The weirdest things we learned this week range from literal brainwashing to the marshmallow test. Whose story will be voted "The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week"?
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Share your weirdest facts and stories with us in our Facebook group or tweet at us!
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Apr 22
Cannibal Caribou, Charming Worms, Strawberry-Flavored Neutrinos
Rachel's officially back! Chanda Prescod-Weinstein also joins as a guest host. This week, they talk about self-made caribou snacks, how to charm a worm, and why neutrinos can be classified as nontrinary. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week is a podcast by Popular Science. Shar ... Show More
54m 31s
Apr 8
REVISITING Naked Founding Fathers, Jalapeño Thumb, Counting Vampires
In our final rerun episode during Rachel's parental leave, we have the oldest episode yet. It features one of Jess' first appearances on the show in which she details strange vampire folklore (and why they love to count), Claire Maldarelli shares a weird pepper-related medical co ... Show More
44m 42s
Mar 25
Killer Demon Core, Victorian Theater-Kid Ghosts, Louis Pasteur's Secrets
Jess brings adef and jacksonparodi on the show this week to discuss how one sphere killed two men in a matter of days, why folks in Victorian Australia used glowing paint to transform into ghosts, and how Louis Pasteur had more aura than ever imaginable. adef on Youtube: https:// ... Show More
1h 17m
Aug 2024
Bonus: Fun Fact or Fake Factoid?! A Chemistry and Trivia Showdown
<p>In this bonus game edition of 'Chemistry For Your Life', host Melissa, co-host Jam, and guest Claire embark on an entertaining journey of debunking or verifying popular 'fun facts' submitted by their listeners. The game, titled 'Fun Fact or Fake Factoid', involves dissecting q ... Show More
28m 6s
Sep 2025
Algorithmic Social Media Is Driving New Slang
From viral slang such as “skibidi” to the rise of so-called brain rot, linguist and content creator Adam Aleksic, aka the “Etymology Nerd,” and associate editor Allison Parshall, who covers the mind and brain, unpack how social media and algorithms are reshaping the way we commun ... Show More
26m 55s